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BRAIN: Ohio bike-to-school contest sets records

June 15, 2013

ROCY RIVER, OH--More than 4,000 students at five schools in Cleveland's suburbs rode to school during the three-week Bike to School Challenge that concluded May 24. Ohio retailer Century Cycles has organized the event to coincide with National Bike Month since 2008, but this year's results set new records. Students carry card that are stamped for each ride to school and can be entered into the grand prize drawing that concludes the challenge. Students rode a total of 57,627 miles and took 17,573 round-trip ridess to school. On average 1,172 students rode in, or 29 percent of the total enrollment of all five schools that participated. Overall, participation was up 11 percent over 2012. Organizers say students have biked 221,797 miles to school since the program was launced in 2008. Standing out among the schools was Bay Middle School, where an average of 538 students rode each day of the challenge, or about 66 percent of the school's 820 students. The represents a 13 percent increase over last year's average of 474. Bay Middle School's students are a hearty bunch, with 27 percent riding in all 15 school days--rain or shine. Raleigh Bicycles and Century Cycles awarded 16 Raleigh bikes to students as prizes and Raleigh gave $3,000 to the schools and $4,000 to the cities for bicycling improvements. "I have never seen a bike-to-school program that generates the level of participation and excitement that this one does," said Chris Speyer, chief operating officer of Accell North America, parent company of Raleigh. "Bike to School Challenge is a model of what we should be doing across the country."